Pisgah
Welsh Independent chapel, Pisgah
SN41455138
Preaching from an early period
before chapel built at Pantswelt in 1821; rebuilt 1849, 1871
(1875) & vestry added 1898. Membership was 200
for years Records;
1. Sunday school minute book 1897-1907 NLW
2. account book 1907-16 NLW
Still
open 1998 (1) & (4)

Cardiganshire Family History Society
- Index to deaths and burials in Cardiganshire from non-conformist
records is available on fiche. Check details on their site, for this
parish includes; Pisgah (Ind., 1907-18, 1911-95).

Hanes Methodistiaeth, rhan ddeheuol Sir Aberteifi : oddechreuad y "Diwvgiad Methodistaidd" yn 1735 hyd 1900 . By
John Evans. Dolgellau , 1904. (Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church History
in the southern part of Cardiganshire from 1735 to 1900) This
book contains an entry for each CM chapel in existence
in South Cardiganshire at the end of 1900, including this one.
It includes a history of preaching in the area before
the chapel was built, lists deacons, ministers etc, and
contains a wealth of genealogical information.

Hanes Methodistiaeth, rhan ddeheuol Sir Aberteifi : oddechreuad y "Diwvgiad Methodistaidd" yn 1735 hyd 1900 . By
John Evans. Dolgellau , 1904. (Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church History
in the southern part of Cardiganshire from 1735 to 1900) This
book contains an entry for each CM chapel in existence
in South Cardiganshire at the end of 1900, including this one.
It includes a history of preaching in the area before
the chapel was built, lists deacons, ministers etc, and
contains a wealth of genealogical information.

Miscellaneous

Bwlchyfadfa Unitarian chapel (Capel y Fadfa), Bwlchyfadfa

Bwlchyfadfa
Unitarian chapel (Capel y Fadfa), Bwlchyfadfa
SN43644951
Independents from Penrhiwgaled and
Unitarians from Llwynrhydowen came together here
Chapel built 1813,
rebuilt 1830, 1850, 1874 & 1905. Members;
104 in 1839 Records;
history from Yr Ymofynydd 1929 says that an old account
book of John Thomas (Tomos Saer) contained lists of members
of this chapel 1839-44 Still
open 1998 (1) &
(4)

Cardiganshire Family History Society - Index to deaths and burials in Cardiganshire from
non-conformist records is available on fiche. Check details on their site, for this parish includes ; Bwlchyfadfa (Unitarian, 1878-1999)

"The cause was started here around 1812 by the Rev.John Jones, the eldest
son of the Rev.Jonathan Jones, Rhydybont, assisted by a number of laymen, chief
among them being David Evans, of Gwardafolog, the grandfather of Mrs Jones,
Frondes.
After the Rev.Timothy Davis,who was assitant minister to his father in Llwynrhydowen,
had
left for England in 1810, Mr John Jones received a call to assist Mr Davis,
which
he accepted. But, soon a disagreement arose between Mr Davis and Mr Jones,and
the later left with some friends to establish the cause in Bwlchyfadfa, which
is on the border between the parishes of Llandyssul and Llandissiliogogo, but
actually in the last named parish. The chapel is about 7 miles from the village
of Llandyssul. Some of the members of Penrhiwgaled living in the area of Talgarreg
joined with Mr Jones' party,and they agreed to hold services there alternately.
As the Arminians of the Bwlch were moving away from Arminianism and moving in
the direction of Unitarianism,the gap between them and the people of Penrhiwgaled
was widening until the Penrhiwgaled people decided to leave.

As there was a provision in the lease that the minister of Penrhiwgaled was
to preach in the Bwlch twice a month, the Independents had certain rights in
the place. When they left, the remainder of the members gave them £35 to give
up their rights in the chapel, and in part, with this money, they built Pisgah
chapel in 1821.

Mr Jones was only here for a short while, and the Rev.L.Davis of Llwynrhydowen,
along
with his assistant, the Rev.D.L.Jones, Glyn Adda, took over the care of the young
church. The later was followed by the Rev.W.Rees of Bridgend, earlier of Cilgwyn,
and
the father of the Rev.W.Rees, Rhydygwin. Mr Rees was an assistant until 1830.
After the retirement of the Rev. D. Davis, Castell Hywel, in 1820, the Rev.J.Davies,the
son of the Rev.D,Davies, Llanybri,was ordained in 1821, and was here until his
death in 1858. The Rev.W.Rees was followed by the Rev.D. Evans, B.A.,who was
ordained in the Llwyn in 1830. He was minister of Bwlchyfadfa and Llwynrhydowen
until 1853. After him came the Rev.Peter Joseph, who ministered from June 19th
1853 until his death in 1857. The Rev.W. Thomas (Gwilyrn Marles) came here when
still a student in 1858, and as a full minister in 1860 after graduating an M.A.,
in
Glasgow University, and served the church until 1879. Then the Rev.W.James B.A.,of
Hen-dy-Cwrdd, Aberdare was called to serve the church, and served faithfully
from October 1879 until 1888. In 1889, the Rev. W..J. Davies, minister in Dowlais
and Gellionen was given a call, and began his ministry on the first Sunday in
June 1889, and continued to serve the church until the end of July 1896

On June 16th 1877,the church of Bwlchyfadfa bought 1 1/2 acres of land from
Mr John Thomas of Pantybryn, to make into a graveyard, and the first to be buried
there was Eliza Jones ,the daughter of Thomas and Mary Jones of Henbant near
Talgarreg,who had died on March 17th 1878,aged 7 years. On the gravestone is
the following verse: